Information
Landmark: USS Arizona Memorial (Pearl Harbor)City: Honolulu
Country: USA Hawaii
Continent: North America
USS Arizona Memorial (Pearl Harbor), Honolulu, USA Hawaii, North America
Overview
In Honolulu’s Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona Memorial stands as one of America’s most powerful World War II tributes, its white structure floating quietly above the sunken battleship, furthermore it marks the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and pays tribute to the 1,177 sailors of the USS Arizona who perished, many trapped below deck as smoke filled the air.This moment signaled America’s entry into World War II, like a door slamming shut behind them, in turn on the morning of December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft swept in over Pearl Harbor and caught the U. S, furthermore pacific Fleet off guard.One bomb slammed into the USS Arizona’s forward ammunition magazine, triggering a massive blast that sent black smoke twisting into the sky, in addition the battleship went under in less than nine minutes, taking nearly three-quarters of her crew with her.In a way, By the end of the attack, more than 2,400 Americans were dead, 19 ships lay damaged or destroyed, and over 300 aircraft were wrecked, consequently roosevelt called the attack “a date which will live in infamy,” a moment that pushed the United States to declare war on Japan the very next day.Completed in 1962, architect Alfred Preis’s design for the USS Arizona Memorial stretches 184 feet over the sunken battleship without touching it, its white structure dipping gently at the center to mark the nation’s lowest point, then rising at both ends to signal victory and peace, not only that in the open-air middle, visitors can peer down at the rusted wreck beneath the water; in the shrine room, the names of 1,177 fallen sailors and Marines are etched into stone.Boats from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center carry up to 200 people at a time past Ford Island and Battleship Row, where the harbor glints in the sun, to boot a short film recounts the attack before guests step into the memorial to spot the “Black Tears” - tiny drops of oil still seeping from the ship - and to stand in quiet reflection.Part of the larger Pearl Harbor National Memorial, the site sits alongside the Battleship Missouri, the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum, and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, alternatively open daily except major holidays, the memorial requires timed tickets; early arrival helps secure parking and avoid the crowds.As it turns out, This is a sacred burial ground where most of the crew remain entombed, and where surviving shipmates may choose to join them - a solemn tradition upheld since 1982, what’s more it endures as a spot to remember, to learn, and to honor the cost of freedom.Its strong presence keeps the memory of Pearl Harbor alive-the roar of the waves against the shore a quiet echo of the sacrifices made there.
Author: Tourist Landmarks
Date: 2025-09-10
